Colombia national Santiago Londono has been arrested and charged by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Money Laundering Act for “failing to report to the FIU the transportation of cash at the Douglas Charles Airport” in the amount of Euro 47,700.00
He was arrested on July 10, 2022, and brought before the Magistrate’s Court in Roseau on July 13, 2022, where the charge was read to him via a Spanish interpreter. He also elected for a summary trial and pleaded guilty to the charge.
He is represented by lawyers Jodi Luke and Anika Bellot.
The Facts
On Saturday, July 9, 2022, at about 7:44 am, the defendant arrived in Dominica on a Winair flight 3S163 from Guadeloupe. He was processed by Health, Immigration, and Customs Officials and had nothing to declare, and was released. He had booked his accommodation at the Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Hotel in Portsmouth. While at the hotel he paid for a service offered by the said Hotel, where he would have utilized the VIP Executive Lounge at the Douglas Charles Airport on his departure. This lounge is only accessible after Immigration has given clearance to depart Dominica. It is situated in the departure waiting area of the Douglas Charles Airport.
On Sunday, July 10, 2022, sometime between 6 am and 7:30 am, the defendant arrived at the Douglas Charles Airport via the Kempinski taxi service to travel to St. Maarten via WINAIR flight WM813and proceeded to check in with Immigration. He was later processed and granted approval to depart Dominica. He then proceeded to the Security checkpoint for luggage inspection. It was the intention of the defendant to proceed to the Kempinski VIP Lounge to await boarding after luggage inspection. He was traveling with two pieces of luggage ( a backpack and a suitcase). He was then informed by security that they needed to do a search of his luggage. During that search, a quantity of EURO cash was found and a report was made to Customs, the defendant along with the cash and the remainder of his accompanying luggage was detained by Customs Officer Peter Letang and taken for further examination. After further examination was made of the defendant’s luggage cash was found in both his backpack and his wallet, the cash was counted in his presence and amounted to EURO 47,700. He was then arrested on suspicion of “Money Laundering.”
On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, the matter was handed over to the FIU for further investigations.
During the course of the investigation, it revealed that the defendant had previously arrived in Dominica from Guadeloupe on June 27, 2022, and departed on June 30, 2022, to Guadeloupe. He then left Guadeloupe on July 1, 2022, for Panama, on July 8, 2022, he departed Panama for Guadeloupe, and on July 9, 2022, he left Guadeloupe for Dominica with the intention to leave Dominica on July 10, 2022, for St. Maarten. The investigations also revealed, that there was no record of a Cash Transportation Report of EURO 47,700 made by the defendant to the FIU or Customs for transportation of the said cash on July 10, 2022.
Plea in Mitigation
Defense attorney Anika Bellot in her plea in mitigation on his behalf, described the incident as “an unfortunate turn of events as he is a family and businessman who, because he is residing in one economic space that is the European Union (EU) did not realize he had to declare the funds.” She begged the court to “temper justice with mercy” and not impose a custodial sentence on her client.
The State is represented by acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sherma Dyrample along with Marie Louise Pierre Louis and an application for confiscation of the case under the Money Laundering & Prevention Act was made and granted by the court.
Fine
He was slapped with a fine of $5,000.00 to be paid forthwith which he did and has since departed the jurisdiction.
How much fuss did they make about a few crab backs because it involved an Oppoditin member?
Imagine if that money was in the possession of LL